The overall performance of a detergent product, for use in washing or cleaning method, such as a laundry or dishwashing method, is judged by a number of factors, including the ability to remove soils, and the ability to prevent the redeposition of the soils, or the breakdown products of the soils on the articles in the wash.
Food soils are often difficult to remove effectively from a soiled substrate. Highly coloured or `dried-on` soils derived from fruit and/or vegetable juices are particularly challenging soils to remove. Specific examples of such soils would include orange juice, tomato juice, banana, mango or broccoli soils. The substrates can be fabrics, or hard surfaces such as glassware or chinaware.
Pectic substances are found in, for example, fruit juices. The pectic substances act to hold dispersed particulates in suspension in such fruit juices, which will tend to be viscous and opaque in nature. Pectic enzymes are commonly used in the fruit/vegetable juice processing industry in the clarification of juices by breakdown of the pectic substances therein (depectinization).
Benefits for the specific use of polygalacturanase enzymes which is substantially free from other pectic enzymes in detergent formulations, particularly those designed for use in laundry, dishwashing and household cleaning operations have not however, been previously recognized. For example, German Patent Specification 3,635,427, published Apr. 23, 1985 by Lion Corporation, is directed to phosphate-free detergents for cleaning clothe containing enzymes with pectinase activity, which is said to include such enzymes as polygalacturonase, pectin lyase, and/or pectin esterase. However, aside from the general teachings therein relating to mixtures of these pectinase enzymes, the only specific teaching regarding an individual pectinase enzyme is found in Example 3, where the enzyme (designated "Enzyme D") is characterized as containing a large quantity of pectin lyase. Table III provides the results of the evaluation of this Enzyme D in a detergent formulation, indicating that this high pectin lyase mixture has the highest % pectinase activity (10%) and one of the higher detergency values (83%) by comparison to the other enzyme compositions reported.
It has now been found that polygalacturanase enzymes substantially free of other pectic enzyme provide high levels of cleaning when incorporated into detergent compositions. The inclusion of such enzymes provides stain/soil removal benefits. Removal of food soils/stains, and in particular the removal of dried-on fruit and vegetable juice soils/stains is enabled.
It is an object of the present invention to provide detergent compositions containing polygalacturanase enzymes substantially free of other pectic enzyme, which provide soil/stain removal benefits, when used in cleaning and washing operations.
It is a particular object of the present invention to provide laundry and dishwashing detergent compositions containing a polygalacturanase enzymes substantially free of other pectic enzyme, which provide enhanced fruit and/or vegetable juice soil/stain removal.